DETROIT — The carpet in the visitor’s clubhouse at Comerica Park remained sticky for several days after the Indians’ champagne celebration last September.

The Indians soaked each other in bubbly and Budweiser after they captured their first American League Central crown in nine years. For the rest of their series against the Tigers, every footstep in the clubhouse produced an emphatic squeak.

The Tigers used to be familiar with that sort of messy, autumn beer bash. They stood atop the division each year from 2011-14.

After trades of J.D. Martinez, Justin Upton, Justin Verlander, Alex Avila and Justin Wilson, however, the Tigers are trending toward unrecognizable. The rebuild is on in full force.